Chapter 4
Seated on the bench at the foot of the bed, Andy watched his wife undress, put on her nightgown, and pick out tomorrow's outfit. He had already changed into boxers and tee for the night.
He slipped up behind her and wrapped her in his arms, "I am so crazy in love with you. This has been the best day of my life."
Sharon turned to face him, "It has been picture perfect, hasn't it?"
They kissed and nuzzled together, sharing the same breath and space. They finished the typical evening routine before turning out the light in the bathroom, phones on chargers, and checking their spare weapons, kept in the bedside tables. Hating smudges and dust, Sharon cleaned her glasses carefully, placing them on the table before turning off her bedside lamp.
Andy flicked back the covers and fluffed the pillows, "Let's talk names."
Sharon tucked herself into her lover's arms, her back to his chest, allowing him access to the nape of her neck. He obliged her with kisses and gently rubbing his nose across the bare skin. He gently massaged her shoulders where he knew she carried all her stress. This always provoked approval humming. She reached behind herself and stroked his thigh and pulled him closer.
"If it's a boy, how about we give him names from our fathers?" Andy asked.
"My dad's middle name is Patrick. It goes so nicely with O'Dwyer, don't you think," smiled Sharon. "Kevin Patrick O'Dwyer."
"Mine's middle name was Joseph, but I really loved his old man, Kevin Flynn. So we've got a name in common," Andy chuckled. "Granddad Flynn was a beat cop in New York."
"I had an Uncle Joe. Well how does Joseph Patrick Kevin Flynn sound to you?" Sharon offered.
"What about Patrick Joseph Kevin Flynn?" Andy snickered.
Sharon repeated it softly, "Patrick Joseph Kevin Flynn. Yes, I think I like the sound of that. Write that one down on that notepad you've dragged to bed."
"Oh, you noticed that, did you?"
"Mmm hmm," Sharon murmured. "You want to write it all down."
"Yes, I do. I've got kids, sure, but I wasn't there for them," Andy sounded a little sad, "I want to be here for this little guy."
"What if he's a she?" Sharon threw out.
"Well, we can worry about her names tomorrow," Andy directed. "For now, his or her mommy needs her rest."
Sharon rolled over to face Andy and stroked his five o'clock shadow. She kissed him tenderly and began whisper his name.
"You want..." he whispered back.
"I do. I want you," she nuzzled and kissed him.
"Well, let me assure you that you have all of me! If there were more, I'd give that to you, too," With that, Andy shut off the bedside light, adjusted clothing, and held his wife close as they enjoyed the intimacy of each other until sleep overtook them.
A few hours later, Sharon sat up and shrugged off the covers, "I'm hot."
Andy pulled her back and began to kiss her bare skin, "You don't have to tell me that - I know you are!"
She fell back into his arms across the bed, "Yes, but right now it's not that kind of hot. I need some cool air, Honey," she muttered back. "This is how I 'do' pregnant, Andy. I'm sorry, but I just get overheated."
"I guess last week was not the hot flashes of menopause then," Andy smirked. "Come to think of it, you haven't spooled the blankets since our honeymoon."
"No. I guess not," Sharon said mirthfully. "Hey, at least you can't complain about waking up in the middle of the night freezing because I stole the blanket again."
Andy was wide awake now and on an elbow. He ran his fingers through her hair before he got up to move the blanket away. He folded it like an accordion at their feet.
"This is what we did when I was a kid in New York. A mid-autumn night would start out warm and sultry then in a flash, it could get cold enough to want a blanket," he returned to bed. "This way, we'd have the blanket at hand to pull up quickly without having to get out of bed or put a warm foot on the cold floor."
"Better all the away around," she claimed as she adjusted herself back in bed after a quick trip.
She faced him and stroked his cheeks, "Andy, I am so happy that words just don't do what I feel for you justice."
He drank in her eyes, "You don't have to tell me that either. Sharon, you make me feel so loved and wanted...even as a kid, I never had this kind of feeling. Cherishing you is the easiest thing I've ever done."
"Perfect word. I do feel so cherished by you," she sighed. "Thank you, my love."
His fingers continued to play with her hair, "Oh, my honor and real pleasure. Good night, Beloved."
Sleep came gently and quickly to the couple as they returned to the usual position in bed. He gently drew circles across her shoulders and back instead of her waist and hips. Andy gave her some air space, but not too much space. Each craved the other's touch throughout the night.
Thursday would present them with a new case. Mike Tao picked up the phone when the call came in. He looked at his watch, "Guys! It only took them until 10 o'clock to come up with something for us to do."
"Whatcha got Mike?" Provenza wanted to know as he came around the corner, fresh cup of coffee in hand.
Still on the phone, Tao raised his free hand as he took notes with the other.
He read from the notepad, "Looks like there was a mass shooting at a strip mall. Suspect is still on the loose."
"Vests, people!" the Commander ordered in full-on Mom mode. "Until the perp or perps are apprehended, our work at the crime scene will include personal protection. And I want vests on before you get to the crime scene."
"Exactly," agreed Provenza. "And by all means, keep your eyes and ears open. You know how our Commander just loves her paperwork, so let's not give her any. Sykes with me, Tao stay put, Julio and Flynn. Where is Buzz? Let's go people."
Sharon clinched her hands then folded them across her chest as she watched her team head toward the elevator. Buzz scooted out last. Mike turned to his Commander as if asking for orders.
"I'm guessing the Captain," she started, "will want you to start running backgrounds once they get an idea of who we are looking for." She tucked stray hair behind her ear, "Sounds odd calling him 'Captain,' doesn't it?"
"Maybe," Tao grinned, "but it just seems to go nicely with calling you 'Commander.' Or at least it does for me."
She smiled, "Can you access street cams from your computer, Mike?"
He nodded, "I can," he turned to his screen and typed in passwords and what he wanted, "Here we go, Ma'am. As you can see Louie is driving. I can vouch for why he's not letting Amy drive. She has got to be the worst driver I've ever ridden with..."
"And to think I turned her loose with Rusty," chuckled Sharon as Mike turned his face to look up at her as she hunched over his shoulder to see the action on screen.
"Might have not been the best solution, but it's what was available at the time, as I recall," he commented. "Julio, as you can imagine can be pretty aggressive when he's got something to chase. I remember when we had the producer from Badge in the car..."
"Oh, look at that!" Sharon interrupted. "Turn up the radio. We want to hear this."
Mike complied so that they now had sound and sight, "Maybe Provenza should have let Amy drive after all."
"Well, I would prefer they all come back alive," she noted as the pursuit rolled through cross street after cross street and street camera after street camera.
"Holy crap! He's done now. Look at that, Commander," Tao drew closer to the screen as if that would get him closer to the action. "Julio's on him now. That guy doesn't stand a chance," Mike chuckled.
"That's it! That's it!" shouted Tao as if he were cheering on his favorite team. "You got him, Julio. You got him! Way to go, Julio! Into that closed industrial zone!"
The car they were chasing turned into a dead zone lined with warehouses, some empty and some active.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Sharon, "We have lost the picture! Can you bring up the airship camera?"
Tao swiftly complied. Their view switched from eye level and immanent to distant and transcendent. The airship pursued then pulled back rather than run afoul of power lines. It circled around the hazard to air navigation. The radio crackled with a jumble of voices. Some were yelling while others seemed more composed. The airship observer directed the pilot to go around one more time that the subject vehicle had gotten lost in the warren of warehouses and tight roads between each monochrome building.
Sharon heard Flynn's voice asking the airship for more precise directions. Provenza and Julio split up. Each of Major Crimes's cars had a couple of black and whites trailing them as they entered the maze of alleys and access roads in the older industrial and warehouse district. Since Provenza was in one of the new Explorers, he was easy to spot and direct since there was a big number on the top of the vehicle. The airship maneuvered the ground assets into position forcing the suspect out of his stolen car and into the building. Julio was in the maroon Crown Vic that simply screamed unmarked police car.
Both sets of pursuers arrived at the back of a warehouse nearly simultaneously, having been directed from above. As directed, the team had already donned their vests before they left the PAB parking lot, so they were ready for action when they dismounted. Patrol officers got their rifles and bean bag shotguns out of the trunks and set the perimeter. Julio pulled his sniper rifle and set up and made for the warehouse opposite the one where the suspect had holed up.
"Mike, call and find out if a tactical team is en route and how much longer until they arrive at this scene," she directed.
"Captain," Raydor spoke into the radio, "hold off engaging the suspect until SWAT arrives. Just hold him in position. Don't let him outside the cordoned off area."
Provenza heard the Commander, "Will do. He's not going anywhere any time soon. The airship says he ducked into the building that we are in front of. Can you see his car? I'm deploying around the sides and back to hold him there."
Mike piped up, "We're watching. SWAT is nearly on scene, arrived in the industrial complex now."
With that, he motioned to Amy and Andy to take a couple of patrol officers and surround the building. Buzz was to stay close to Provenza's side and film it all.
"Caged animals can be as dangerous as wounded ones," Provenza cautioned Buzz. "Keep your head and your ass down and out of his line of sight."
Indeed moments later, SWAT pulled in behind the growing LAPD presence. After conferring with the Captain, SWAT began its examination of the structure. Thermal imaging gave them a good idea where the suspect was trying to hide.
Provenza took the bullhorn and demanded, "Okay, you in there. This is the LAPD. Toss your weapon out and then follow it, hands on your head. If we have to come in after you, you'll come out in a doggie bag."
It was quiet.
"Is that how you want your mother to see you one last time? In a doggie bag all shot to hell and back?" Provenza added.
It was quiet.
Provenza continued his psychological warfare, "We know you are in the northeast corner. So if you don't want to die today, get your scrawny ass out here right this minute. Toss the gun and get out here."
It was quiet.
Then the sound of a pistol hitting concrete greeted the team's ears before they even saw it launched in the direction of the ramp on the building. Then the palms of two hands appeared. Then a face that went with the hands came out of the building. He tucked his hands onto his head and stopped moving.
SWAT officers were already in position and took him to the ground. After being searched, stripped of his shirt, having his pockets turned inside out, he was handcuffed and stuffed into awaiting transport for the trip to the PAB and interrogation.
Sharon let out the breath that she'd been holding. She released the tension in her shoulders. Mike offered her a "high five" as they congratulated themselves on no shots fired, no FID, and a live suspect in custody.
"Got a name to go with that face," she asked Provenza on the radio. "Doggie bag. That's one to remember for later," she muttered to herself.
By now, Provenza had the young man's wallet in an evidence bag which he dug back out, "David Newhouse," he responded. He handed the license to Sykes to text to Tao.
Julio climbed back down and rejoined his team on the ground.
"Thanks, Captain. Mike will run his background while you supervise SID at the original crime scene. Let Julio and Andy see if SID is needed at the warehouse where you are now. We'll leave him in Interrogation Room One until all the team gets back," she said. "Well done to all!"
Her team was a well practiced group of professionals, and she was so very proud of them all.